Katha Upanishad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Part of a series on |
 |
|
Rigveda · Yajurveda · Samaveda · Atharvaveda |
|
Aitareya · Brihadaranyaka · Isha · Taittiriya · Chandogya · Kena · Mundaka · Mandukya · Katha · Prashna · Shvetashvatara |
|
Smriti · Śruti · Bhagavad Gita · Purana · Agama · Darshana · Pancharatra · Tantra · Sutra · Stotra · Dharmashastra · Divya Prabandha · Tevaram · Ramacharitamanas · Shikshapatri · Vachanamrut · Ananda Sutram |
|
|
The Kaṭha Upanishad is one of the older, mukhya "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. It is associated with the Taittiriya school of the Krishna Yajurveda. It figures as number 3 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads. It consists of two chapters, each of which has three Vallis or sections. It has some passages in common with the Gita.
The Upanishad uses as its base the story of Vajasravasa (alluded to in Rigveda 10. 135), a poor and pious Brahmi who performs a sacrifice and gives as presents (dakshina) to the priests a few old and feeble cows. His son, Naciketas, feeling disturbed by the unreality of his father's observance of the sacrifice, proposes that he himself may be offered as payment. As he insisted, his father said in anger, "Unto Yama, I give thee.", whereupon Naciketas goes to the abode of Yama, and, finding him absent, waits there for three days and nights. Yama on his return, offers him three gifts. As his first gift, Naciketas asked to be allowed to return to his father alive. As the second, he asked Yama to tell him how his good works may be inexhaustible, and as the third, he asked Yama to tell him how to defeat death.
The Katha Upanishad tells the story of Naciketas, a student who is initiated into traditional Upanishadic wisdom regarding the nature of reality. Naciketas offers to be sacrified by his father who is giving away all his possessions. He is sent to Yama, the god of death, who tests Naciketas for his qualifications to seek wisdom and eventually leads him on a gradual path to enlightenment.
While apparently including both theistic and non-theistic (strictly Advaitic) perspectives, the text emphasizes the need for moral understanding and achievement in order to attain enlightenment; expounds the doctrine of karma and re-birth; presents an analysis of the self in its empirical dimensions and eternal form; and sets forth a state of bliss to be had through an intense concentration of consciousness and, finally, a surpassing state of joy and liberation.
[edit] References
- Deutsch, Eliot & Rohit Dalvi (Editors) (2004). The Essential Vedānta: A New Source Book of Advaita Vedānta. Bloomington, Indiana, USA: World Wisdom, Inc. ISBN 0-941532-52-6
